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We will be lucky to all fit in the shop and there will most probably only be one person serving! It is not exactly a large place

I am a year 2 beekeeper who has had a very, very eventful second year although 116lbs of honey is a nice reward. I keep extensive records including a section for lessons which I thought that I would share. • It is the numbers of frames of brood that counts – 8 in a national is a crowd as I found...

I recently bought a new book from the USA - A Beekeepers Lament. I was not certain that this would be worth the read as it pictures the life of a major US Bee farmer and I doubted that I would learn anything that I had not seen on the various documentaries re Colony Collapse Disorder. The book...

A very interesting point about making the varroa board sticky. Does anyone have a suggestion as to the most effective way of doing so

yes - this looks like their premium quality cedar hive. The sloping stand and legs are definitely Thornes as well

Gatley your roof is a Thornes gabled roof for a national hive - the rest of it is standard Thornes as well

My local SPA had own brand runny honey at £1.99 for a 1lb today. When I spoke to the shopkeeper he said honey was honey after all.

Sounds like a Snelgrove Board to me

I found that the icing sugar did not work for me whilst Hiveclean did get rid of a lot of mites. If you had dwv a few weeks ago then it is unlikely to have gone away - it is more than likely worse. I managed to get through to August week 2 when I took off the supers and put on the Api. The drop...

I am no expert but at this stage last year I was getting that many drop in a day and I still managed to get 2 supers off. I got by by using hiveclean every few days to keep them down until I could get the supers off and the Api on.The question may be whether you have deformed wing virus etc as a...

I used to use Marigolds and never got on with leather as they were too clumsy. Recently I found what for me was a perfect answer. You can buy gauntlets from Paynes called "blue plastic" which use a cushioned and thicker rubber than Marigolds. They come in a variety of sizes and, so long as you...

Yes - here I am at work. Quick peek first thing and another lunch.

Expect the unexpected. From my limited experience whenever you think everything is under control and exactly as it should be then you open up and get a surprise. Bees do not read the books !! Also expect to become obsessed especailly if your bees are close by (p.s - I love perspex quilts !)

I am currently working in Nice in the south of France for a couple of days and our office is surrounded by huge lavenders in full bloom which are crawling with honey bees. On close inspection they look exactly the same colour and size and are undistinguishable from the ones in my hive at home in...

In my experince you can never be too careful. This weekend as I shook the inspection cover (the cloth you put over to keep the sun out when inspecting etc) and hey presto she fell off that despite having seen her earlier on a frame. On another occasion she fell off the frame on to the inspection...

Garden bees I beieve that the garden beekeeper has an enriched experience. You are able to spend so much more time observing from close range and consequently gain a far greater understanding of their behaviour and moods

I opened one hive on Saturday and instantly felt something was not right with patchy brood and drone cells everywhere. I shut up again and read Hooper and checked the forum which was most useful. I went back in and concluded it was laying workers without doubt so I followed Hooper and detroyed...

I took in a minature swarm mid May last year with a virgin queen who took 3 weeks to come into lay. I offered them only foundation. I still managed 14lbs of honey and could have got more but wanted to leave them some. I suppose it will depend on where you live and what weather we have. They...

Mine insist on drinking from a hot tub (full of bromine and other chemicals) despite giving them good clean water. I cannot stop them !

If they do get propolised then shove them in your freeezer overnight and scrape off the hardened propolois in the morning having first removed teh cover to get at the springs